I was torn between Cactus and Mankind. I think Cactus has probably got a more...dynamic body of work? I don't really know how to say it, but I feel like a true Mick Foley fan would love his Cactus stuff more. I went with Mankind because I feel that it is possibly the most significant stuff he did. The promos he did in the WWF helped change things, and I think his influence is underrated, whereas others are overrated.

Steve Austin is the reason the WWF turned around, and Vince and Tyson were important to that. I think guys like The Undertaker and HHH get way too much credit for just being around (Taker was at least a foil for Austin at some points). Mankind shook things up big time. He was arguably Taker's best opponent outside Shawn Michaels, and moments like him winning the WWF Title are just out of this world crazy and endearing.

His Mind Games match with Shawn Michaels is underrated as hell, and it's one of my first ports of call when I'm trying to explain to people how wrestling used to be a lot more "organic." Foley has participated in the dwindling of his own legacy, but the WWE didn't remember Mankind as fondly as I think they should, given that they like that revisionist history where they big-up everything they do.

I first truly became familiar with Foley's stuff as mankind, and really enjoyed it. I had HEARD of Cactus, but never really saw any of his stuff until much later (via YouTube) I always felt like the Mankind character was relatable to a degree and is one of my favourite all time wrestling characters. He has a great body of work as Mankind, and as Cactus as well, but it was more of a circus attraction type thing with all the Hardcore and Death Matches. So I went Mankind.

Foley busted his ass to get over in the WWF. I've never been his biggest fan (always liked him), but when you go back, he was actually having great matches with basically everybody at the top, and outside of Austin, Vince and Rock was probably their most important guy. I'm trying to think of the term for it. Obviously not their MVP, because that was clearly Austin. He was like their glue behind it all.

Mankind was his best work I think. Cactus probably had the best matches, but the Mankind character was great and had a really cool evolution. The twisted heel was must watch and really grabbed my attention. The face was ultra popular and sympathetic and then slowly morphed in Mick in goofy clothes.

He was just such a good character actor that I think any gimmick would have worked for him in WWE. Mankind was a weird idea but he made it work because he threw himself into it and fleshed it out. Think that was the gimmick that showed how talented he was at that side of the business

Intellectually i know its mick but cant seem to type mick for the life of me

I don't consider Mick a wrestler. I don't know. It's like "who is the bigger star -- The Rock or Dwayne Johnson?" and we all know the answer, but he is The Rock. Well, it's not really like that at all.

The more I think about it, the more great stuff I remember from Cactus too. The promos. Fuck. But that moment where Mankind (/Mick Foley) won the WWF Title is probably my favorite from Raw, and I didn't even see it at the time.

This is really making me appreciate the entire career of Mick Foley. If it could have just stopped in 2004 that would have been great though.

Ive said this a lot of times but i see danielson and the modern mick foley. This guy who connects on a really human level and gets over through that more than anything else. That was his real strength. Being able to feel like the everyman. Like any of us could be him.

Agree 100%. It's really surreal to see how accepted Bryan became after seeing him come up through the indies and all the "too small," "too wrestler" labels thrown at him. I mean, that basically became the theme behind the push, but it's really weird just how over the internet's favorite wrestler got with live audiences.

You also have a lot of wrestlers who try to work the same style, or channel that intensity, or be "normal guys" that just don't connect. There's something special about that quality that Bryan and Foley both possess.

I don't consider Mick a wrestler. I don't know. It's like "who is the bigger star -- The Rock or Dwayne Johnson?" and we all know the answer, but he is The Rock. Well, it's not really like that at all.

It would be the time he wrestled under the name Mick Foley from WM2000-His retirement.

It would be the time he wrestled under the name Mick Foley from WM2000-His retirement.

Technically, but he always felt like he was doing Cactus Jack with the Mandible Claw incorporated in. Like, we're talking about the same guy, so breaking his career into separate personalities is an exercise in semantics anyway. It's good to meditate on the greatness that was Mick Foley.

Those JR interviews with Mankind were really something special. I know there were points after that where he lost steam. But still, I remember being blown away by them when I was younger.

I watched them retroactively, but going back and talking to people who did watch at the time, I really get the sense that Mankind "changed" a lot about the WWF. He helped make it darker and more organic. He was the best opponent for The Undertaker in years. I think his influence is underplayed by the company.

Dusty is a good shout-out, but he had this larger than life thing about him too. He was an idiosyncratic once-in-a-lifetime kind of guy.

I dont think those are mutually exclusive though. The way these guys connect to people comes off as genuine (whether it is or isn't makes no matter) and thats what stands out the most over time. Their acts feel naked.

It's interesting to consider how much Foley has fallen since his prime as a performer. I personally don't think it's damaged his legacy, but you really realize how HARD it is to be good at every element of the game when you see Foley half-assedly work his way through a scripted promo on RAW, compared to pretty much everything he did in his initial run.

True story: I got offered the chance to hang out with Mick Foley because I know the organizer of an event he is attending over here. They were like "do you want to come and hang out and help us set up?" and I was like "nah." I've never really been into meeting famous people, but that's how little I give a fuck about current Mick Foley.

He's super important historically, and I can separate what he's done from who he is now, but yeah, it's sad how he's tried to dimish his own legacy, I guess.